IFNA21 Gene - Interferon Alpha 21
Cytokine gene involved in antiviral immunity and immune regulation
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | IFNA21 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Interferon Alpha 21 |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 9p21.3 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 3452 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3452 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000137076 |
| UniProt ID | P01568 |
| OMIM ID | 147582 |
| HGNC ID | 5424 |
| Aliases | IFNA, IFN-alpha-21, leIF F, interferon alpha-21 |
Description
IFNA21 encodes a member of the type I interferon family, interferon alpha 21, which is secreted by immune cells in response to viral infections. This cytokine binds to the interferon alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR) to activate JAK-STAT signaling, leading to expression of antiviral and immunomodulatory genes. IFNA21 is part of a cluster of interferon alpha genes on chromosome 9p21.3 and plays a role in innate immunity against viruses and some cancers.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis C Virus Infection | IFNA21 induces antiviral state via IFNAR; polymorphisms may influence treatment response | ClinVar, NCBI |
| Systemic Lupus Erythematosus | Type I interferon overproduction including IFNA21 contributes to autoimmune pathology | OMIM, NCBI |
| COVID-19 | IFNA21 levels correlate with antiviral response severity; potential therapeutic target | NCBI |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Spleen | 0.6 | Low |
| Lung | 0.3 | Low |
| Whole Blood | 0.2 | Low |
| Lymph Node | 0.4 | Low |
| Bone Marrow | 0.1 | Not detected |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HEK293 | 0.1 | Low baseline expression |
| THP-1 | 0.5 | Induced by viral stimuli |
| Jurkat | 0.2 | Low expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs10108980 | SNP | 0.15 (global) | Associated with altered interferon response |
| rs2841616 | SNP | 0.20 (global) | May affect IFNA21 expression levels |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
No confirmed loss-of-function variants reported in major databases.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Not described; overexpression in autoimmune contexts may be pathogenic.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Not reported for IFNA21.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • cytokine activity (GO:0005125) | • extracellular space (GO:0005615) |
| • immune response (GO:0006955) | • innate immune response (GO:0045087) |
| • type I interferon signaling pathway (GO:0060337) |
Pathways
• Interferon alpha/beta signaling (Reactome R-HSA-909733)
• JAK-STAT signaling pathway (KEGG hsa04630)
• Antiviral mechanism by IFN-stimulated genes (Reactome R-HSA-1169410)
Protein Summary
Interferon alpha 21 (IFNA21) is a 189-amino-acid secreted cytokine with a signal peptide (residues 1-23) and a mature chain (24-189). It belongs to the type I interferon family and shares structural homology with other IFN-alpha subtypes. The protein forms a five-helix bundle and binds to IFNAR1/IFNAR2 receptor complex, triggering downstream signaling. Post-translational modifications include disulfide bond formation (Cys1-Cys99, Cys29-Cys139) and N-glycosylation at Asn78.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFNA21 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ50383 | Human | 3452 | Details Get a Quote |
| IFNA21 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ53618 | Human | 3452 | Details Get a Quote |
| IFNA21 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ62088 | Human | 3452 | Details Get a Quote |
| IFNA21 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ70572 | Human | 3452 | Details Get a Quote |
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